Purple Phoenix Reborn (Constantinople ISOT)

Chapter 28
Chapter 28
The Palaiologos Dynasty

The Imperial dynasty of the Roman Empire is a fascinating topic to cover. Coming to power in that ever so Roman manner of a successful military officer overthrowing an Emperor, they must have seemed like any other in a long line of families. If anything, looking back, historians could easily say they were one of the least successful. Ruling over a fading Empire-in-name-only that they mismanaged terribly. Even more prone to inter-family warfare than most Roman dynasties, they squandered the remaining wealth and manpower of the Empire. Anatolia was finally lost for good. Greece was taken, along with Thrace. Serbs, Bulgars and Turks ate away at the edges of an Empire that shambled from one crisis to another. Even the bright spots were short lived and did little lasting good.

When Constantine rose to the throne and Mehmed laid siege to Constantinople it would have, in another world, likely been the end of the Roman legacy. Tarnished and faded as it was. The Palaiologos would have been a failure of a dynasty. One that produced a handful of excellent rulers and many terrible pretenders. [1]

Of course, as we all know, that wasn't what happened. The Lord intervened, to hear the Romans tell the story. Certainly something, and maybe it was God, took Constantinople from the clutches of the Turks. Mehmed would go to the grave believing he had been punished and, to this day, one can only wonder what he had done to deserve such a fate. His foe, Constantine, would go to his own death swearing that the Lord had heard his prayers and those of his people. Regardless of the truth of the matter, Constantine would eventually be Sainted by the Roman Orthodox Church, the ruler who had saved his people.

The Palaiologos Dynasty, for its part, would stage the kind of resurgence that defies belief. Constantine would take a second wind that saw him lay down the foundations for the modern Roman state in Arcadia. Alexios would forge laws that remain in effect to this day. Even Heraklonas, ill-liked as he is, would secure what his father and granduncle had done. And then you have the line of Demetrios, fine warriors and able statesmen in their own right.

It remains almost more a miracle than the movement of Constantinople itself.

- The Roman Imperial Family, Brussels, 1884


The House of Palaiologos-Constantinople:

When Europeans arrived in Constantinople, they were greeted with the land of the 'Noble and Holiest House of Palaiologos, Chosen of the Lord'.[2] A pretentious title, to be sure, that would have scandalized Constantine with his religious reawakening. Even Alexios would have considered it excessive and Demetrios scoffed at it. Never let it be said that Heraklonas was anything but an able showman, however. He had created this new title for his family entirely to impress upon the visitors who, exactly, they were visiting. A creature of the court, the Emperor was always looking to impress. To show off the wealth and prestige of his throne.

This was simply one further aspect of that. One that, it must be said, worked. If only because visitors already awed by the survival and thriving wealth of Constantinople could hardly deny God's hand in the City. When Constantine's Sainthood was accepted by the Orthodox Church at large, it would further reinforce this, even if later Emperors tended to drop the pretension from the title. For the reign of Heraklonas, though, it further sets the branch in Constantinople apart from other branches of the Imperial line.

More commonly known by the far simpler 'House of Palaiologos-Constantinople', the family of Heraklonas was an expansive one. What had been comprised of a bare three members upon arrival in Elysium- Constantine, Alexios and his brother who has largely faded from history -had blossomed into a large and healthy family line. While Demetrios and Heraklonas are by far the most famous of Alexios' children, they are not his only children. His only male children, perhaps, yet the brothers had no fewer than four sisters. Coupled with children of Alexios' brother, and the generation that gave rise to the current Emperor had more than tripled the amount of Imperial family members in the Empire. This would continue with Heraklonas, himself.

For upon marrying a scion of the still prestigious Doukas family, Heraklonas would produce a wide family of his own. His wife would bear him six children, four boys and two girls. While undoubtedly pleasing to the Emperor and his wife, it could have created a crisis later in the Empire's own life. From the sons more than the daughters, who would live in Blachernae for much of their lives, pampered and given anything they desired. There were no royal families to marry them off to, even, so those daughters would choose their own husbands from the Roman nobility, one day. The sons, however, were another story entirely.

One must recall, here, that Demetrios was functionally, if willingly, exiled due to the 'Byzantine' tradition of male family members attempting to kill one another off for the throne. With four male children, Heraklonas had secured his line, but could also have caused a terrific civil war if his sons got it in their heads to rule alone. Heraklonas, for his lack of military talent, was still an able administrator and not at all blind to this fact. It was, again, why his own brother would not return to Constantinople.

As such, Heraklonas looked to the fact that the Empire had been, quite literally, severed from its past. He looked to the past of his own family and the flaws therein. With no need to hold to outdated styles of rule, and to be completely frank, with more than a little desire to keep his brother's line from the throne...Heraklonas firmly broke from the old Roman traditions. He declared his eldest son his heir and took advantage of the relative weakness of other claimants and the still mystical legacy of Constantine, to further declare the eldest son of his line to always be the designated heir to the throne. [3]

So it was that the House of Palaiologos-Constantinople began to more closely resemble the average European royal family. No more would there be Co-Emperors or contests for the throne. While the latter could- and would -happen, the intention was fully to remove that from the equation. To transform the Empire into a modern state, with a modern ruler, and no more ambitious generals coming from the outside to wrest the throne away.

Heraklonas was likely fully aware of how much this angered his younger sons. It is no surprise that two of them would be sent to 'learn from their uncle' and never allowed back. It was even less surprise that the third would leave for the northern frontier of the Empire, setting up his own holdings in that isolated locale. Here he would linger, forming his own family line, if one of less import. A tough and hardy group, living out on the frontier where land was plentiful, but support was limited. Here, a man would form his own destiny and not tie it to anyone else. Until and unless he wanted to himself. These northern lands would still formally remain part of the Empire, but in those days, they were considered the fringe of the fringe and hardly controlled by Constantinople.

The eldest, Leo, would remain by his father's side and learn rulership from Heraklonas. He would lack his father's charm, perhaps, but Leo would have his own strengths and weaknesses in the years to come.

This was the state of the Constantinople line of the Palaiologos family, upon the first European visitors arriving. A thriving family, albeit one still prone to exiling younger sons until and unless they were needed. Heraklonas formalizing what had been the tradition of the Palaiologos Emperors did little to change that fact. Nor the fact that the family in Constantinople was, in many ways, simply a continuation of what it had been under Constantine. By no means a bad thing. It brought a level of stability that the Palaiologos Empire desperately needed and that the people of the Empire, still enamored with the family of the great Saint Constantine, were quite happy with. The shine had not yet worn off the holiest of holy rulers.

So, how did the average Roman citizen view their ruling family? One could say it was the same as it had ever been. A certain level of detached respect. The occasional murmurs of annoyance about never seeing the Emperor and how he flaunted his wealth, though far less than it might have been with the general wealth of the Empire itself. Perhaps the largest difference was, and would remain, the legacy of Constantine. It was still impossible to deny the holiness of Saint Constantine and his successors.

This was, in of itself, quite the turnaround for a family that had been viewed with disdain and frustration for most of its time on the throne. A family that had annoyed and frustrated its people by constantly trying to reunite the churches, to the point that several were outright called heretical. Was now the holiest of Imperial families and a beacon of the Orthodox Church. Constantine, in spite of his late repudiation of the Union, would likely have seen the irony in this.

If one wanted to truly see a new family, though, one had to look to the more southerly branch of the Palaiologos line. For where the Constantinople line continued to thrive in the old courts and intrigue of the Eastern Roman throne, the line of Demetrios thrived in its own right and in its own manner. One quite unlike that of his brother, and yet one just as important to the history of the Roman Empire, as we'll see in later years.

So it is that we leave the glittering halls of Constantinople and return to the harsh stone and colorful tapestries of Tzintzuntzan.

The House of Palaiologos-Tzintzuntzan:

Demetrios Palaiologos, always the more famous and beloved of the two sons of Alexios, founded his own branch of the family in the city of Tzintzuntzan. Marrying into Purépecha royalty, Demetrios would be the first of his family line to marry into a native family. This fact was less important, at the time, than the fact that he was exiled to the court of the Cazonci by his brother, informal exile it may have been. In later years, however, it would become a badge of honor for the thoroughly mixed-blood House of Palaiologos-Tzintzuntzan. That their founder saw no problem with mixing his blood with that of a native woman, no matter her royal pedigree. Considering that this was a family that would eventually have blood relations of most native peoples of Mesoarcadia- and more than a few European colonizers -this is perhaps expected.

At the time, it was less apparent, other than in the dusky skin tone of Demetrios' three children. The Prince and his wife would prove to be less prolific than Heraklonas, though they would also prove to be arguably better parents. Demetrios would sire two sons and a single daughter, and neither of his boys would be exiled. In fact, he would raise Heraklonas' exiled sons as if they were his own, and those boys would eventually marry a Spanish noblewoman- herself in functional exile from Spain -and a Purépecha cousin of Shanarani.

As for Demetrios' blood-related children, the eldest was name Theodoros. A fine Greek name for a boy who couldn't look less Greek if he tried. Shanarani's genes were strong in her children, and all three of Demetrios' children would show that in their skin. Theodoros, for his part, would attempt to emulate his father in military matters. Both he and his brother would be off learning the art of soldiering when Demetrios set off to Vera Cruz, though as it would turn out, little Theodoros would have no talent for it. Small and frail, he could handle a short sword well enough, but armor and shields and spears were too much for him. Even the sword would prove to tire him out far faster than it would any other boy- or man -his age.

Where he failed at military matters, however, Theodoros would inherit his father's charm and diplomatic acumen. If anything, he was even more charming than his father and his mind sharper. He took after his mother in this. Even before he had left his teenage years, Theodoros was already venturing out into the wilds of Mesoarcadia to explore and meet new people. With a hefty escort provided by Irepani and the old 500, of course. No one wanted to let the eldest child of Demetrios die because he could only barely defend himself.

Still, the scholarly and diplomatic Theodoros would make treaties and meet people as far north as the lands of the Opata and as far south as those of the Maya in Sotuta. In the latter case, Theodoros- with his very European name -would find some suspicion at first. While stymied in their efforts to the North, the Spanish were already landing exploratory expeditions in Maya lands. And they were doing much the same as they had done in Aztec lands, with all that implied. [4]

So, suspicion was understandable. Until, that is, he told the tales of why his skin was darker than the Spanish. Of how his father and his men were working to secure the native lands from European conquest. This, and catching the eye of a noble daughter, were sufficient that he left with his head and a request to eventually meet properly in a happier manner. Along with a request to return, later, when more Mayan leaders could be gathered.

Theodoros, while disappointing his father with his lack of military talent...truly impressed Demetrios the day he returned.

As for the second son, Michael, he would be the polar opposite of both his brother and father. Lacking at all in their tact or diplomatic skills, he was a far simpler boy and man. One who lived for the thrill of combat. He would spend his early years thriving under military training and would, upon reaching manhood, continue on as part of the 500. It would be here that he spent the majority of his life, showing absolutely no desire to go exploring or meeting new people. He would be an excellent soldier and make his father proud of that. Yet he would never go beyond that. He was no leader of men, no diplomat.

Michael was simply an excellent warrior and content with his lot in life. He would spend more time with the soldiers and with Irepani, himself more akin to Michael in temperament, than he ever would with his brother or 'brothers'. This was fine though, because he enjoyed his life and that was what mattered to his parents.

Demetrios final child, Agapi, was a timid child who would eventually develop into a beautiful woman. Inheriting both her father's Greek features and her mother's dusky beauty, Agapi would stay at home with her mother, learning the craft of a housewife and mother of children. Her father would teach her how to wield a dagger to defend herself and she would, eventually, show a certain talent for a short bow as well. But a fighter she was very definitely not. Where Agapi shone the brightest was in her gentle and caring demeanor. Not only would she be an excellent mother to her own brood of children, one day, she would practically raise the children of her brothers- Michael in particular -in her own right.

In this, she was a microcosm of that first generation of Palaiologos-Tzintzuntzan. A tight-knit family that looked after its own. Demetrios would create a House built on solid foundations that would continue to endure in the diplomatic and military corps of the Purépecha Empire for many years to come.





Past these branches, there were of course, the European branches of the family. Demetrios and Thomas, brothers of Saint Constantine, had been left behind in the Morea following the 'fall' of Constantinople. [5] Here they would rule for a few years to come, before a vengeful Mehmed would fall upon Morea and evict them from Mystras. Demetrios would eventually find himself in Istanbul, where he would later die, with his own child following him not long after. Thomas would flee to Italy and attempt to form a new crusade to retake 'his' throne. While he found receptive ears in both the Pope and several Italian rulers horrified by the Carthage Myth, no crusade would be forthcoming. The princes and kings of Europe were consumed with their own problems and even after Mehmed's fall against Vlad, it didn't change that issue.

Eventually dying penniless and destitute, Thomas would leave behind three children. One, Zoe, would marry the Duke of Moscow, Ivan III. Through her children, the Palaiologos line would still be ruling in Moscow when news of Constantinople arrived. The so-called 'Third Rome' would be...displeased by this, to some extent. Not least those who might have hoped to use the legitimacy of the duke being descended from the Imperial line to make claims to leadership of Orthodoxy or the like. It is little surprise that there was something of a civil war in the courts of Moscow on if the duke's line should push more for their Palaiologos heritage as a direct shot at the Emperor in Constantinople or if they should instead look to their Rurikid legacy.

Andreas and Manuel, the other children of Thomas, would themselves die broken and poor in Italy. Their own children would scatter to the winds and leave recorded history at this point. If any lived long enough to see Constantinople's return to the world stage is unknown. They certainly made no claims to the throne if they had, and those claiming descent from either of the brothers in later years are generally regarded as opportunists trying to cash in on the Palaiologos legacy.

The branch of the family in Montferrat, on the other hand, maintained perhaps the best claim to legitimacy outside of Moscow. And perhaps it had a better claim even there, as the duke of Moscow had- until the news from Arcadia -been emphasizing his Russian and Rurikid heritage more than his Greek lineage. The House of Palaiologos-Montferrat, or the House of Palaeologus-Montferrat, was directly descended from the Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos and had always maintained their name and legacy. Even converted to Catholicism and taking Italian names on occasion, this was a family that maintained their claims to descent from the Imperial line. Even as they washed their hands of the Eastern Mediterranean and contented themselves with their small rulership in northern Italy.

It is somewhat telling in that, even with the news of Constantinople, this didn't change. The then-ruler, Boniface IV Palaeologus-Montferrat, had not even been born with a Greek name. A young boy at the tender age of 13 at the time of news arriving of Constantinople, he was not at all bothered by it. In the manner of many a teenage boy throughout history, he was more interested in his own life and whims. It is recorded that his reaction was more along the lines of 'that's interesting, but does it really matter?'.

Boniface would be proven wrong, of course, when even devout Catholics in Montferrat began to look at him differently. His family was blessed by the Lord, it seemed, and poor Boniface would soon find himself expected to live up to that. It might have saved his life, one supposes, considering his tendency to go on wild horse rides. [6]

Those were quickly banned, and the young boy was thrust into a sudden important position as the 'last Palaiologos' in Europe that still maintained direct rulership of any sort of state. Under the tough hand of his uncle, John George, Boniface would quickly become an important plaything in inter-Italian feuds. Sleepy Montferrat and young Boniface were the last vestiges of a now-blessed family in Europe and would never be able to escape that legacy. Both were suddenly far more important than they ever would have been in another world. Some say the boy cursed his fate. Other that he embraced it once he understood it properly.

Regardless of the truth of the matter, when a son of Theodoros would be the first Arcadian member of the family to visit Europe, his first stop- after arriving of course -would be Montferrat, where a much older and wiser Boniface would greet him warmly like an uncle seeing his nephew for the first time, no matter the difference between his pale skin and the dark tones of the grandson of Demetrios Palaiologos.



1. The Palaiologos family, in Europe, had proven themselves to be a...contentious bunch. On the one hand, they had spawned some truly great men. On the other hand, their interfamily squabbles and conflict had drained the treasury of an already fading empire. Threw away manpower that was desperately needed to maintain ever shrinking borders. Antagonized their own people and their enemies in equal measure. It is oft forgotten in the modern day, but the Palaiologos Emperors were deeply unpopular- sometimes even hated -by their own people for various reasons. Their resurgence is nothing short of a miracle almost as large as the salvation of Constantionople itself.

2. When Heraklonas came upon the idea for this is unknown. What is certain is that he only began styling his family line by this pretentious title when he felt the need to impress upon European visitors just how important his family was. It is entirely unsurprising that later rulers in Constantinople would drop the full title and revert to more reasonable ones after Heraklonas' death. Consummate showman he was, only Heraklonas could possibly have made such a title work, and his successors had no interest in continuing that.

3. Even at the very end of its time in Europe, the Roman Empire did not see succession in the same way as other European states. It was common for the eldest son to inherit, to be certain, but this was by no means a given. It was just as likely another son, a brother, or even a nephew or uncle could be considered Co-Emperor and inherit the throne. Alexios was, after all, Constantine's nephew- though this had as much to do with Constantine's lack of children as anything else. Heraklonas would be the first to break from this tradition, as much to secure his own line over that of his brother as anything. While there was some grumbling and growing pains, what he established would continue long after his death, with the eldest surviving son set to inherit the throne. It did much to prevent the devastating civil wars that Eastern Rome was so known for.

4. The Spanish attempts to rule in Mayan lands are every bit as brutal as one could expect. It should come as little surprise that the natives would be suspicious of someone with such an unfamiliar name as Theodoros, no matter how much he may have outwardly resembled any other native, other than the features he inherited from his father.

5. It might be considered a blessing that neither Demetrios nor Thomas would live to see news of Constantinople. Even the rumors of the truth most likely crushed them when they realized they had been left behind. The truth would have certainly ruined the men had they been alive to hear it.

6. When he was seventeen, Boniface very nearly fell from his horse. Had he died then, he would have died unmarried and with no children. That would have been a sad end to the last of the European Palaiologos, as John George was frail and childless in his own right.


AN: There we go. A New Years present.

Figured that going over the royal family was as good a way as any to continue this look at the Empire itself while also giving some peaks over at Europe. What, did you think we forgot about the other ruling Palaiologos branch? Those poor Italians are going to be torn about by people looking to take advantage of their newfound 'holiness'. Fun times for a sleepy family that never asked for this :V

Also some hints as to how things will go with the Arcadian branches of the family, as well. We'll be seeing more of Leo as time goes by, along with the odd cameo from his siblings. Heraklonas is a good administrator, but he's about as poor a father as a brother.

Next update will...ideally be soon, but we'll see.


...also featuring (not great, but eh) minimal family trees. That we didn't totally forget to put in the first time >.> <.<
 
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Regardless of the truth of the matter, when a son of Theodoros would be the first Arcadian member of the family to visit Europe, his first stop- after arriving of course -would be Montferrat, where a much older and wiser Boniface would greet him warmly like an uncle seeing his nephew for the first time, no matter the difference between his pale skin and the dark tones of the grandson of Demetrios Palaiologos.
thats good, i guess, but leaves me suspicious as hjell
 
Ah Hareaklonas, would that you were born in the 20th century, you would have made the theater-kid-iest of theater kids.

The Spanish attempts to rule in Mayan lands are every bit as brutal as one could expect. It should come as little surprise that the natives would be suspicious of someone with such an unfamiliar name as Theodoros, no matter how much he may have outwardly resembled any other native, other than the features he inherited from his father
Also, this doesn't seem right. To the Maya, all Purépecha would have had equally alien names, given how the languages weren't related and the cultures had minimal contact.
 
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6. When he was seventeen, Boniface very nearly fell from his horse. Had he died then, he would have died unmarried and with no children. That would have been a sad end to the last of the European Palaiologos, as John George was frail and childless in his own right.
This visit sounds interesting and would provide a sorely needed picture of european politics after the impact of the new world and Arcadia.
 
So, I've been reading this from the very start, and now I'm going to bring up some old posts. Apologies.

And until the British started sailing gunboats up the Yangtze, they weren't really wrong to believe all those things.
Something about that phrasing amuses me. "British with their gunboats up the Yangtze".

They had the longest history, the most people, the most materials, the most land, the most wealth, the most culture, the works.
At first I've read it as "the most culture, the woks". And it made sense, too - because what would the Chinese be without the woks?

I...I fear that I may never be at home in such a place as Constantinople any longer. Combat has changed me. War has changed me.'
I've read somewhere that the earliest known records of what is now recognized as PTSD are found in Odyssey. Or was it Illiad?
 
One, Zoe, would marry the Duke of Moscow, Ivan III. Through her children, the Palaiologos line would still be ruling in Moscow when news of Constantinople arrived. The so-called 'Third Rome' would be...displeased by this, to some extent. Not least those who might have hoped to use the legitimacy of the duke being descended from the Imperial line to make claims to leadership of Orthodoxy or the like. It is little surprise that there was something of a civil war in the courts of Moscow on if the duke's line should push more for their Palaiologos heritage as a direct shot at the Emperor in Constantinople or if they should instead look to their Rurikid legacy.

lol

I'm now more interested on how Russia reacted to Constantinople's ressurgence.

:rofl:
 
Noice! Will we see a Russia, Perpetua, Rome alliance, as the Pope gets force converted to orthodoxy to prove to the Catholic nations that Cattholicism is a heresy
 
Hmm setting aside the Catholic/eastern Orthodox split is a matter of a schism rather than a mattery of heresy I'd imagine many Protestant groups, the Catholic church and other groups like the Armenian Apostolic Church, the various Oriental orthodox Churches and the Church of the East would all find various ways to justify it happening in a way that fits in their respective worldviews.

Though regardless there would most likely be a lot of theological speciation and thought across the Christian and Islamic worlds on Mehmed II once word reaches beyond the Atlantic to Eurasia and North Africa I suspect.
 
Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Heraklonas, Emperor of the Romans

There has been many a tome written on Heraklonas II and equally as many arguments about the man. His name is familiar to anyone who studies Roman history, not least because he was the Emperor when the survival of that ancient state was revealed. That is, as well, entirely ignoring how he made every effort to show himself at the front of his Empire at all times. It has been said that, were he born in later years, Heraklonas would have been right at home in front of a camera or radio booth. That is hard to deny considering his very real abilities in public speaking and political wrangling. It also rather misses the point of the man himself. A man deeply worried about his own personal image, always living in the shadow of his younger brother. Many of his decisions can, always, come back around to that. Neglecting the army? Demetrios was always the preferred sibling by the military. Canceling exploration? Demetrios had explored many lands and Heraklonas did not want to be compared to that.

A jealous man, yes, but also a deeply insecure one. Lesser men would have flailed and failed, damaging the Empire with their actions. More than a few examples of this dot Roman history, be it the Western Empire, the Eastern Empire, or indeed, the Arcadian Empire. Heraklonas' greatest influence on the Empire is that, in spite of all his flaws and insecurities, he still guided it through one of the most tumultuous portions of its history with the strong hand of a skilled statesmen. While many things that needed fixed were his own mistakes, he still did much good, as well as bad. Though some of his actions would seem to come back to haunt the Empire, in later years. [1]

-Emperors of the Romans, aired December 22nd, 1995


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Born in the waning days of 1474, the Emperor Heraklonas was a well-behaved child in his early years. Studious and attentive to what his father and tutors taught him, yes, but not outgoing or prone to outbursts. Frail and weak in physical terms, he was never going to be a soldier. That was fine though, because Alexios was no soldier either. An explorer, yes, but not a warrior in the traditional sense. That his eldest child and principal heir took after his father was little surprise. If anything, it pleased Alexios to see that Heraklonas took after him, no matter how weak his body was. His mind was sharp and his soul strong, which more than made up for any physical weaknesses, in the mind of the Emperor.

Yet, even in those early days, signs of the man Heraklonas would become were visible. If one just knew where to look.

From the moment he could hold a conversation, he was talking to other nobles. Gregarious and curious to a fault, he spent a great deal of time badgering his tutors to let him join with other groups. Heraklonas found no greater joy than in the simple act of speaking to others. And, yes, sometimes he found joy in flaunting his own status as well. Particularly when it came to nobility of fallen Imperial lines, such as the Angelos. [2]

As he grew older, however, he began to grow into the man that students of the time are more familiar with. His younger brother, Demetrios, was born strong and healthy. Where Heraklonas had prided himself on his social abilities, Demetrios proved to be even more capable of bonding with others. Heraklonas navigated the social circles of the nobility better, to be sure. Demetrios, however, could gather crowds with simple, yet powerful, speeches. He grew up into a man well-liked by everyone, from nobility to commoners. Especially in the military, which had always looked down upon the weak and frail heir to the throne. Oh, Heraklonas knew of that.

They tried to hide it, but he saw. He saw the whispered pity and disdain. How the warriors stared at him walking along with the nobility, dressed in his fine robes without a single scar on his body. It rankled Heraklonas, especially as his brother became so intertwined with these men. Demetrios, it must be noted, never looked down upon Heraklonas. It did little to change how the fractures and breaks in their relationship as siblings grew ever wider.

It hardly helped that Alexios showed so much interest in Demetrios as he developed into a man. While Heraklonas remained the designated heir, it was impossible to miss how Alexios kept a watchful eye on Demetrios. Nor was it possible to ignore how it was the younger sibling who was entrusted with meeting their new Mesoarcadian allies. Heraklonas believed himself better suited for diplomacy, yet it was Demetrios who did so. That was a snub he never forgot. And when their father gave Alexios the finest equipment the Roman state had to its name for his expedition against the Aztec?

It was both the final straw and the chance that Heraklonas had been dearly hoping for.

When Alexios ultimately passed, Heraklonas took the reins of state and promptly prevented his brother from returning. It was, of course, a hollow victory. Demetrios had uprooted himself and had no real intention of returning to Constantinople for any length of time. Content to remain in his new Mesoarcadian home with the family he had begun there. Heraklonas still considered it a victory. With his brother out of the picture, he began to consolidate power around himself. The cuts to the military, in the name of 'not requiring such a large force', were done vindictively and to secure his own power base. Men who seemed the strongest in favor of Demetrios were sent off to the far reaches of the Empire. Loyal men replaced them.

Loyal nobility, more often than not, as Heraklonas began to even more strongly favor his own social circle. This corresponded with his renovations of Blachernae and other such things, leveraging the wealth of the Empire for his own vanity projects. Unsurprising to anyone who knew the man, as with his father dead, his own vanity began to shine through all the more.

After all, this was the child who had enjoyed flaunting himself over the nobility at times. Now he was a man who could do it whenever he pleased and it was, indeed, often that he did so. In any discussion of Heraklonas, there is simply no getting around this fact of life. That the man would spend his time doing such things. However, in spite of this, it must be noted that he also retained other facts of his childhood. His sharp mind and keen intellect remained, for however much effort he put into vanity projects. As has been previously stated, Heraklonas did not just gut the military or spend all his vast wealth gilding his palace. He spent nearly as much gold and blood on building new settlements and expanding Roman control of the Empire's existing territory.

As this has been covered previously, we will instead look to Heraklonas' personal life.

Much the same could be said here, as has been said of his handling of the Empire. The previously mentioned social carousing and the vanity projects came from a sense of deep insecurity. Even in the absence of his brother, Heraklonas still saw Demetrios everywhere. Dismantling the army that his brother had been so entwined with did little to change that. So it was that every move Heraklonas made was to, in some way, counter that insecurity. He genuinely enjoyed his parties and gilded palace, yet he also did it to show who he was. To demonstrate his own power and grandeur. While it is true that some of it was to feed his own vanity, the vast majority of his shows of opulence and power were to sate his own need for acknowledgement.

It is a classic story told the world over. The son who can never shine brightly enough for his father. The King who is always creating newer and grander statements of his own power to mask how he worries and frets. The man who cannot get past his own dark demons no matter how many gilded lights he shines of them.[3]

In this regard, it is fortunate for Heraklonas that he found a wife who was supportive of him and his needs for acknowledgement. Helen Doukas, nearly a decade his younger, had followed the Emperor around for many of his social trips and parties. She had always looked up to him and gotten as close as was proper for a noble, even one from a former Imperial line. Helen was the pinnacle of a 'hanger-on' who did her utmost to be noticed. The kind of woman who had realized the Emperor's need for validation and gave it happily, even as a teenager. Heraklonas, for his part, had quickly found Helen drawing his attention. That they married when she came of age was little enough of a surprise.

That the frail Emperor would have six children with Helen, however, was.

Those children would become one of the few sore points in the relationship of the Emperor and Empress. As previously stated, while the eldest- Leo -would remain by his father's side, the younger boys would soon be sent off in much the same way as Demetrios. Many historians have tried to decipher what Heraklonas was thinking in this regard. It is most generally accepted that he did so in order to avoid the usual pitfalls of a Roman Emperor with multiple sons. To protect Leo's inheritance and avoid his other sons launching coups or civil wars. Or poisoning their siblings, for that matter. This is likely not an inaccurate statement. Certainly, Heraklonas went to great pains to ensure that Leo would succeed him and that it would set a precedent for the future.

This, again, largely stemming from his own concerns and worries about Demetrios.

On the other hand, and on a more generous note for the Emperor, some argue that he did it to protect Leo from what he saw as his own suffering in childhood. Helen would, eventually, write as much in what diaries survive of the time. That Heraklonas, always self-loathing and petrified by his own insecurities, desired to save his son from such feelings. He would send his younger sons away so Leo would have his full attention. Leo would never know a time where he wasn't the focus of all his father's efforts. The Crown Prince would know that his father cared for him and that none of his younger brothers would ever change that. Heraklonas wanted Leo to understand that he was important and that he would rule the Empire, no one else, when his father passed on.

The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. Heraklonas certainly sent two of his sons to Demetrios to get them out of the way of Leo's succession. The third was functionally exiled to the far north for much the same reason. It is also certainly true that, no matter how powerful he grew or how old he got, Heraklonas remained a deeply flawed and scared man. Right up to the moment he died. And if he did give his sole remaining son more attention, it changed little about the fact the Heraklonas ruled alone.

Regardless of the truth of the matter, it was arguably the defining feature of Heraklonas' reign. And, alongside the invitation of European experts, the one with the longest-term impacts on Roman society.

As for the Europeans, well, it would be here that Leo would start to step out of the shadow of his father.



"What do you suggest I do, Leo? Simply crawl to my brother and beg forgiveness?"

Heraklonas II Palaiologos rubbed at his brow, currently lacking any sign of his illustrious office. In front of him stood his son, Leo, in the prime of his life. In his early twenties, he stood tall and proud, with broad shoulders and the scars to prove he had served his time in the military. In comparison to the frail Heraklonas, white-haired and showing every one of his years, it made for a stark contrast. Nor was it lost on anyone that Leo, the proud lion, differed greatly from his vain father. The saving grace was, as ever, that having two diametrically opposed viewpoints working in unison helped cover for flaws of either man.

Or so it was when the two actually worked properly together. For the longest time, Heraklonas had ruled alone. He had left his son to his own devices, save for ensuring he didn't wander far from the Theodosian Walls. A lesser man than Leo would have suggested his father neglected him for the sake of indulging in his vanity with the nobility.

Leo was not such a man, given to anger and resentment. Moreover, his father had never outright ignored him. Ruled alone, yes, but not ignored him. In fact, Heraklonas went to great pains to demonstrate that he cared about his son. That Leo would never want for anything, nor worry about his own future.

Still, as he sighed softly, Leo reflected that his father had certain issues. "No. I do suggest we set up a meeting with his aid, however."

"I do not require his aid!" Heraklonas raised his voice, as Leo placatingly raised a hand.

Uncle Demetrios remained, as ever, a sore point it seemed. Leo could honestly say he had never understood his father's preoccupation with his Uncle. The man had been gone from Constantinople for as long as Leo had been alive. Any threat to the throne- and to his understanding, there never had been one -was long since gone. For all that the army still had a soft spot for Uncle Demetrios, that did not extend to starting a civil war for him.

Then again, I do suppose I can't understand what my father feels. He sent my brothers away too, so I have no context for what it is like to live with a brother in my shadow.

"I am not suggesting we bring him here, father." Leo shook his head and let his placating hand fall away. Always a chore, trying to get his father to do something. "Merely that we have him use his influence to direct more important Europeans our way." The prince looked out at the harbor of Constantinople, crowded with ships. A few even flying the flag of Portugal. "Merchants and soldiers are all well and good, yet I feel we could do better. Nobility would give us the ability to influence the courts of Europe, would it not?"

Heraklonas stared at Leo, hard, before a small smile cracked at his wrinkled cheeks. "Ah, you did pay attention to my lessons, Leo. You understand the importance of nobility and of the ones who have the right to rule."

Leo mightily resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, of course, father."

"Perhaps I can accept his...assistance...in this, after all." Heraklonas paced in place, his robe shifting with each movement. In spite of his frail health, one thing the Emperor had always been good at was pacing.

His son simply let Heraklonas work through what he was thinking. He had learned long, long ago exactly how to handle his father in the best way. And the best way was, most often, simply letting the Emperor come to his own conclusions. Heraklonas was, as ever, a man who valued his own opinion above all others.

It was only when his father came to a stop and stared out at the harbor that Leo spoke up again, "Shall I prepare a ship and troops to set out?"

Silence greeted him, as Heraklonas simply stared out at his city. The Emperor remained in that position, for a few more moments, before sighing heavily. He turned around and locked Leo down with a sharp gaze, not at all dulled by his age. Never let it be said that Heraklonas was a fool or unintelligent. Vain and self-important, yes, but not a fool. Of course, Leo would never say that out loud. He was not so confident in his own worth that his father couldn't recall one of his brothers if it came down to it.

And while he knew his father did care for him, Roman Emperors were Roman Emperors. Best not to tempt fate.

"Very well, I shall send a messenger immediately. I do find myself curious what a princeling of Portugal or Spain is like." Heraklonas stepped past Leo and began to head towards the garrison of Blachernae. "Come along, Leo. You should learn how to do this for the future."

Leo followed his father, knowing better than to argue. Or to hope that he may go along with the expedition. Perhaps he could at least send a message to his brothers? Or, for that matter, get some of his own soldiers on the ship. He was curious about their allies in the same way his father was curious about the Portuguese. [4]

If I will be Emperor, some day, I must know everything I can about Uncle Demetrios and our best allies.




1. Heraklonas made many choices in his reign. Some good. Some long-lasting. Some mediocre. Through it all, there were also choices he made that would come back to bite the Constantinople branch of the family, in later years.

2. Several former Imperial families had lines still extant in Constantinople when it was moved to Elysium. Nowhere near powerful enough to even hope to act as pretenders to the throne, especially in light of Saint Constantine's sudden holiness, yet certainly still around. Heraklonas had something of a tendency to rub it in the faces of nobles his age, even as a child.

3. Were he born in the modern day; it is likely that Heraklonas would have been diagnosed with several mental issues. Not least his complete and utter lack of self-confidence and need to validate himself.

4. Leo was far more curious about the outside world than his father. Especially when it came to his uncle and what Demetrios was up to. This would pay off when he ascended the throne, but so long as his father lived, he kept it more or less hidden. Smart of him, perhaps, considering Heraklonas' personality


AN: There we go. Work tired us out or we would have had this done sooner, but here we are now. This'll wrap up this little look at the Empire for now. To start off with the nice, round, number of Chapter 30...we're off to Europe to see how things are going over there. Probably spending a couple chapters there to get up to speed on things. Both pre-discovery and after Constantinople was found to still be around.

Fun times.
 
Interesting read. I'm excited because it looks like we're getting closer to a more official reaction from Europe. I'm wondering what Charles V's reaction is gonna be. He's a really interesting dude and not only is he the Roman Emperor through his election to the HRE, but he's also technically Roman Emperor through inheritance from Ferdinand and Isabella, who I think bought the title from one of Constantine XI's brothers. I don't think he ever used that version of the title, nor did his heirs for some reason I don't really understand, but maybe he'll do something with it when word of Constantinople reaches him.
 
Yeah, I'm glad we'll see the Romans through European eyes. The reaction of the Ottomans is also going to be hilarious to watch.
 
Honestly, the reaction I want to see is the Pope's.

Hmm as I recall the actual pope at the time of Constantinople died in 1455 and came across as sort devastated over the fall as apparently all his efforts to marital military aid to the city and all his prayers came to naught and He apparently felt the fall cast a permanent pail over his papacy.

Interesting read. I'm excited because it looks like we're getting closer to a more official reaction from Europe. I'm wondering what Charles V's reaction is gonna be. He's a really interesting dude and not only is he the Roman Emperor through his election to the HRE, but he's also technically Roman Emperor through inheritance from Ferdinand and Isabella, who I think bought the title from one of Constantine XI's brothers. I don't think he ever used that version of the title, nor did his heirs for some reason I don't really understand, but maybe he'll do something with it when word of Constantinople reaches him.

That is assuming either Maximillian I, Charles V becomes emperor after the death of Fredrick III though I'd imagine.

Charles at the very least faced very strong candidacies from Francis I of France, Henry VIII of England and Fredrick III of Saxony so who knows what might happen.
 
That is assuming either Maximillian I, Charles V becomes emperor after the death of Fredrick III though I'd imagine.

Charles at the very least faced very strong candidacies from Francis I of France, Henry VIII of England and Fredrick III of Saxony so who knows what might happen.

I do believe that Skywalker said they were casting, as I believe they called it, a "butterfly net" over Europe for the most part so that most things stay the same until Constantinople is discovered by Europe. Considering how important Charles V and his reign were, I imagine that he still came to power in all of the places he did OTL.
 
I can't wait to see the reaction of Catholic Europe.

Also I love the chatacter of Heraklonas, I enjoy reading about morally grey/complex characters with serious personality flaws, who nonetheless do a decent job if things in spite of them.
 
I liked the introspective on these people as it gives context to the history of this civilization. i wonder how bad these later leaders got as it is mentioned bad times for the empire later on.
 
It's said that you eventually become the person you wish had saved you, at the time when you were at your lowest, when you called for help and none came. It is also true that parents overcompensate for where they see their parents as having failed them in their youth.

Unfortunately for Heraklonas, Helen and his children, he turned out to be a combination of both. Although admittedly still not as noxious as he could've been, four sons sent into exile for one favoured child is not a good record.

This is the paradox of succession: you need multiple children to ensure that you have contingencies in case your chosen heir predeceases you, but once that heir is in place the others become a liability, and present a risk for palace coups, coups in general really. Heraklonas dealt with this issue in an extreme way, but as fucked up as it is to admit it I still think this was his idea of mercy. But it's really only kicking the problems down the line.
 
All of this taking place makes me wonder what will happen to the major Indian populations in America in this. Will they form confederations like in Irl or migrate or form their own countries. Wondering how the United States will form (If it does) and if New Rome will be a rival or ally for them.
 
All of this taking place makes me wonder what will happen to the major Indian populations in America in this. Will they form confederations like in Irl or migrate or form their own countries. Wondering how the United States will form (If it does) and if New Rome will be a rival or ally for them.

With the Romans quite probably supporting the Native American nations. If the US ever becomes independent, I doubt they would ever be much more than the initial 13
 
I assume New Rome will end up as north Americas superpower then if the US never expands. Look forward to protestants and other groups react to the religion in New Rome. I assume during this time you were not harassed if you were Atheist and were just thought of as naive or unenlightened. Thet were treated better then heretics.
 
All of this taking place makes me wonder what will happen to the major Indian populations in America in this. Will they form confederations like in Irl or migrate or form their own countries. Wondering how the United States will form (If it does) and if New Rome will be a rival or ally for them.

With the Romans quite probably supporting the Native American nations. If the US ever becomes independent, I doubt they would ever be much more than the initial 13

I assume New Rome will end up as north Americas superpower then if the US never expands. Look forward to protestants and other groups react to the religion in New Rome. I assume during this time you were not harassed if you were Atheist and were just thought of as naive or unenlightened. Thet were treated better then heretics.
Yeah I seriously doubt the US is gonna exist in any form TTL. If anything like that does happen it's likely gonna have Roman backing with eventual annexation into Rome being planned. As is long term with the delay of the Spanish conquest of the America's they're basically set up for everything west of the Mississippi landing under their control.
 
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